The Nepalese national cricket team has retained their ODI status after a record win over UAE at TU Cricket Ground. Meanwhile, UAE has missed an opportunity to directly retain its ODI status.
Nepal bowled out UAE for 71 runs and registered a mammoth 177-run win. This is Nepal’s biggest win in terms of runs surpassing a record of 151 runs against PNG on 10 September 2021.
Chasing a total of 249 runs in a must-win match, UAE were bowled out for their lowest-ever score. Lalit Rajbanshi (7.5-2-20-5) picked up his maiden ODI fifer as the hosts bowled out UAE in just 22.5 overs. Sandeep Lamichhane grabbed two scalps, while Gulshan Jha, Sompal Kami and Dipendra Singh Airee picked up one each.
UAE done and dusted today, what a massive victory, Lalit Rajbanshi, playing his first match of this series takes his maiden five-fer. Sompal was brilliant upfront and Lamichhane as usual takes two wickets. Nepal retains #ODI status, two more to go for Zimbabwe. pic.twitter.com/xj61R9UZYR
— cricnepal.com 🇳🇵 🦏 (@cricnepal) March 12, 2023
UAE were in a pitiful situation, losing four batters for 8 runs inside five overs. They couldn’t recover themselves after that. Aayan Khan was the top scorer with 29 runs. Ashwanth Valthapa and Karthik Meiyappan scored 14 and 11* runs respectively. Three batters were dismissed for a duck.
With the win, Nepal jumps to the fourth position having 36 points from 34 matches. They need two wins from two matches to surpass Namibia from the third spot.
Nepal winning the #Game34 by 177 runs means, they move to fourth in the League 2 table with 36 points, two more to go.
Jai #Nepal pic.twitter.com/c3pSdXNFIO— cricnepal.com 🇳🇵 🦏 (@cricnepal) March 12, 2023
Earlier, Nepal managed to post 248 runs after opting to bat first. Despite a shaky start, Rohit Paudel’s anchoring inning and Dipendra Singh Airee and Gulshan Jha’s late blitz helped Nepal post a decent total.
Nepal lost both their openers (Kushal Bhurtel 8, Aasif Sheikh 0) within five overs as UAE’s strategy to bowl both left-arm spinners early on worked well. Kushal Malla, coming at No.3, didn’t last long, with Junaid Siddique dismissing him for 9. Nepal were 33 for 3 after the end of the first powerplay.
Rohit Paudel and Bhim Sharki (29) shared 54 runs for the fourth wicket before Bhim give away his wicket to Mustafa in the last ball of the 22nd over after slamming him for back-to-back four.
Skipper Rohit added another 86 runs with Aarif Sheikh to bring Nepal back on track. Aayan Khan eventually dismissed Rohit for 77 runs from 112 balls with nine fours. Aarif also contributed vital 52-ball 43 runs for his side.
It was Gulshan Jha who counterattacked UAE bowlers and scored 32-ball 37, whacking three biggies. Dipendra Singh Airee also joined Jha and smacked 34 runs from just 19 balls, smashing three fours and two sixes. Zahoor Khan dismissed Sompal Kami as Nepal wrapped up in 49.2 overs, managing 248 runs.
For UAE, Aayan Khan, Zawar Farid, Zahoor Khan and Rohan Mustafa picked up a couple of wickets. Aaryan Lakra and Junaid Siddique picked up one each.
Nepal benched former captain Gyanendra Malla and Karan KC, while UAE fielded their playing XI without former skipper CP Rizwan.
